Tunnel-lining



J. C. MEEM.

TUNNEL LINING.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 24, 1919.

Patented Aug. 24

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* UNITED STATES JAMES c. MEEM, or

PATENT OFF-ICE.

BROOKLYNTNEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FREDERICK L. CRANFORD, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

TUNNEL-LINING.

Specification of Letters Patent;

Patented Aug. 24, 1920.

Application filed. April 24, 1919 Serial No. 292.306.

To all whom it may concern." 1

Be it known that I, JAMES C. MEEM, a citizen of the United States, residing .at

Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and Statev tunnels in soft earth formations as distinguished from self-supporting rock. I It finds an important application in walling up tunnels that are built by the shield and compressed airmethod. In oneaspect my in vention involves buildinga lining of two series of units, one of metal and the other of concrete, the two series being securely All these objects and advantages of my invention will be made apparent in the following specification taken with the accompanying drawings, in which I have shown one specific embodiment. It is this embodiment which is described in the following specification. stood that modifications may be made within the scope of the invention.

Referring tothe drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic axial section of the tunnel in partially completed condition.

Fig. 2 is a cross section of the same principally on the line. 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectionshowing details of the tunnel lining on the line 33 of Fig. 4, before grout is filled in,

and

Fig. 4 is a development ofa section made by cylindrical surfaces at difierent rad11 for different blocks, and looking in theldirection of the arrows 1, .4 in Fig. 3.

For the sake of clearness, many details that occur repeatedly in the actual structure, are not repeated throughout the drawings.

The tunnel with the sidewalls 11 and unexcavated front face 12 has the shield 13 across its front end. This shield has a hood 1 1 with a cutting edge, a tail 15 and a door opening 9 through which the excavated ma- 7 terial may be passed. 7 It will be understood that across the tunnel'somewhere in the rear It will be underthere is a bulkhead with an air-lock, and the'space in front of this bulkhead is filled with compressed air. Jacks are employed between the shield and the tunnel lining to advance the shield. One such jack is indicated'at 7, but for the sake of clearness, the others are not shown. The inner side of the shield 15 has longitudinal ribs 16 to strengthen it and to serve as guides around the outside of the tunnel lining. lVads 17 of clay or other suitable material are packed back behind the tail 15, being passed between the guides 16 by suitable comparatively small jacks, according to the invention covered by my Patent Number 1,246,134, granted Nov. 13, 1917.

The outer metal blocks are indicated generally by the reference number 18 and the inner concrete blocks by the reference number 19. Each outer block 18 consists of a rectangular steel plate 20 bent to suitable curvature with two channel bars 8 having a flange of each riveted or welded across a respective end of the plate. At equal inter- .vals three intermediate I-beams 21 have their flanges on one side riveted across the plate 20. Short lengths of channel bar 22 are then riveted along the side edges of the plate 20, being cut to fit in between the cross channels 8 and cross Lbeams 21 are also riveted to the plate 20. Thus it will be seen that each metal block 18 consists of a'curved outer plate 20 with the channels 8 and 22 and I-beams 21 and 23 disposed to form an array of pockets or cells 24 opening on the concave side of the block, that is, toward the axis of the tunnel.

The blocks 18 of one course are fastened to the similar blocks of the preceding course by means of bolts 25 through the marginal channels 22. The adjacent blocks-18 of the same course are fastened together by bolts 26 through the webs of the adjacent end channels 8.

The concrete blocks 19 are made in molds with suitable reinforcing members 27 enibedded therein. Each concrete block 19 has a series of radial pipes 28 extending through it. These pipes are for introducing grout after assembly, the inner end of each pipe 28 being screw-threaded at 30 and surrounded by a small open pocket 29 to facilitate the attachment of a pipe coupling for supplying the grout.

Embedded in each concrete block 19 is a series of heavy parallel cast iron pipes 31,

which serve as columns to sustain the thrust of the jacks 8 in advancing the shield. The

adjacent ends of the concrete blocks 19 in the same course are channeled to receive similar thrust columns 31. 1

The blocks 19 are formed with the projecting looped bars 32 as shown in Fig. 3. The successive courses of the metal blocks 18 break joints and likewise the successive Each added course is bolted securely to the preceding course by means of thebolts '25 an'dtheblocksoi the course are bolted to each other at 26. A specia'l key block 34; may be employed at the top as shown in Fig. 2. The guides16'carried by the tail- 15 rest on the lining blocks 18 and the clay filling wads 17 are pushed back between the guides 16 and between the inner face of the shield 15 and the outer face of the last course of metal blocks 18, as in my patent already referred to. The shield is advanced by jacks such as 7 engaging the concrete blocks 19.

-Following the placing of a course of metal blocks 18 a course of concrete bloc s19 is placed so that it will extend a quarter block width behind the advance edge of the metal blocks. This quarter block 7 width gives room to reach inside the pockets such as 2 1 in Fig. 1 to manipulate the bolts 25, when *the next course of metal blocks 18 is added.

Each course of concrete blocks 19 will require temporary false work to place them over-head until secured by the special keyblock 35. At a suitable time after the assembly has been made as'described, a pipe will be attached to the threaded pipe end 30 and grout forced into the pocket 24 filling it and extending all around the projecting loop parts of the members 32. As the grout enters the pocket245the air can escape through the other pipe 28 associated with the same pocket 24. This grout will extend under the flanges of the channels and l-beams that bound pocket. 24 and through. and around theloop 32 and thus securely unite the metal and: concrete linings together and at the same time seal the tunnel lining as a whole against the entrance of water.

ieretofore it has been common to line tunnels with massive cast iron blocks, but

these are very expensive and my improved tunnel lining reduces this expenseby employing comparatively'light metal blocks in conjunction -w-i-tli massive concrete blocks. The concretegis :well adapted to withstand the enormous compressive stresses to which the tunnel lining is subjected and the metal parts, an adj acentinner lining of blocks also provided .wlth lOCklDg parts, and means for introducing a binding material into said cells to interlock the locking parts of the cells and blocks together.

.2. A tunnel lining comprising an outer wall lining of metal sections and an inner lining of blocks supported thereon, each of said linings having locking portions adapted to receive hydraulic cement in fluid form and to lock the same therein when set, and an intermediate binder interlocking the said locking portions and comprising hydraulic cement introduced'to said locking portions in fluid form and then allowedto set.

3. A tunnel lining comprising an outer wall lining having a series of metal sections each section havinga plurality of inwardly projecting portions forming inwardly directed cells with looking parts therein, an adjacent innerlining of blocks adapted to rest against the inner edges of said cells and having locking parts therein, and a binding material filling the space between said cells and said blocks and binding the 'locking parts of the two linings togetherr 4. A tunnel lining comprising an outer wall'of metal blocks formed with pockets opening toward the tunnel axis, an inner wall of concrete blocks with members embedded'therein and entering said pockets and grout filling said pockets and engaging said members. a

5. A tunnel lining comprising an outer wall of metal blocks having pockets therein, anadjacent inner wall of concrete blocks and'pipes through the concrete blocks for the introductionnt grout for said pockets.

6. A tunnel lining comprising an outer wall of metal blocks having pockets opening toward the tunnel axis, and an adjacent inner wall of concrete blocks having pipes extending radially therethrough for the introduction of grout to said pockets and having members embedded therein and projecti inginto said pockets to be engaged by the grout.

7. The methodoflining a tunnel comprising constructing an outer wall lining of metal sections with cells having locking portions, building thereon an inner linlng of blocks adjacent the inner surface of said outer Wall and with locking portions complementary to the locking portions of said outer Wall, leaving openings to the spaces between the adjacent locking portions of said linings, filling in said spaces surrounding the locking portions with a hydraulic cement 1n fhud form, and allowlng the cement to set and form an intermediate hard JAMES C. MEEM. 

